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Share Your Story: Brooke Maynard

by Anne S. on Monday, January 12, 2015

Brooke Maynard Springfield, IL

November 20th, 2009, should have been the best day of my life. Instead it turned out to be the best and worst day of my life. This is the day I gave birth to my beautiful daughter. I was talking to my mother about my contractions during labor and the next thing I know my life changed in a blink of an eye.

I had several doctors and nurses rush into my room poking at me with needles and x-ray machines because my blood pressure and heart rate became dangerously high. My OBGYN told me he had to emergency cesarean to get my baby out so I would survive. I was rushed away for surgery and after my daughter was born I found out I went into congestive heart failure during labor and was diagnosed with postpartum cardiomyopathy.

A cardiologist came into my ICU room where I was taken after the cesarean and told me that if I go on a low-sodium diet, complete cardiac rehab all within six months I should be able to live a normal healthy life. During those six months of trying to recover I was in and out of the emergency room, the cardiac ward at the hospital, and had several episodes where my blood pressure was too low from my medication that I couldn't even get out of bed. Since I was getting worse and not getting better my cardiologist told me I will be on medication the rest of my life, and I no longer will be able to carry another child due to the weakness of my heart. Today, I am a passionate survivor and a fighter of the No. 1 killer in women, heart disease.